WASHINGTON — The sixth-seeded Los Angeles Sparks are ailing and traveling. The
third-seeded Washington Mystics are rested and ready.
They’ll meet in a Round 2, win-or-go-home matchup on Thursday night at George
Washington University’s Charles E. Smith Center, the Mystics’ current home with
renovations underway at Capital One Arena.
The winner advances to the semifinals to meet either No. 1 Seattle or No. 2
Atlanta.
After two trips to the finals and one championship the past two seasons, Los
Angeles struggled during the regular season, finishing 19-15. But despite
Candace Parker and Nneka Ogwumike battling ailments and injuries, the Sparks
overcame the defending champion Minnesota Lynx 75-68 in the first round of the
playoffs on Tuesday night in Los Angeles.
“Every day is digging,” Ogwumike told the Los Angeles Times. “We all know each
other. We all push each other. We did that tonight.”
Parker scored just two points, but Chelsea Gray poured in 26 points on 9-of-17
shooting from the field. Riquna Williams added 17 points and Ogwumike — back in
the lineup after battling mononucleosis — contributed 19 points on 6-of-10
shooting to help the Sparks earn a cross-country trip and a quick turnaround.
“We know it’s going to take a lot of work,” Alana Beard told the Times. “It’s
going to be a fight, it’s not going to be easy, we completely understand that.”
Awaiting them is a red-hot Mystics team that finished 22-12. They won eight of
their last nine games during an unsuccessful pursuit of Atlanta and the No 2
seed, with their only August loss coming on the final day of the regular season
Sunday.
Elena Delle Donne shot 53.5 percent from the field in August and 44 percent from
the 3-point line to capture Eastern Conference Player of the Month honors. Delle
Donne led all Eastern Conference Players in scoring with 20.0 points per game
while also averaging 6.3 rebounds.
“I feel like we’ve been waiting around a little bit,” Delle Donne told the
team’s website. “But we’ve been able to get some rest and prepare. They have a
tough travel schedule, so we need to be ready to push the pace right away from
start to finish.”
Kristi Toliver averages 13.9 points and Ariel Atkins 11.3 for the Mystics.
Washington took the season series 2-1.
The first two games were won by the visitors. Parker scored 23 points to lead
five players in double figures in the Sparks’ 97-86 win on June 15 in
Washington.
On July 7 in Los Angeles, Mystics head coach Mike Thibault became the first WNBA
coach to reach 300 regular-season wins in Washington’s 83-74 win. Toliver led
the way with 18 points and LaToya Sanders added 14 points and eight rebounds.
The tightest game between the teams was last week in Washington. The Mystics
prevailed 69-67 when Natasha Cloud nailed a fade-away jumper just before the
buzzer.
Washington is 12-5 at Capitol One Arena, but this will be their first game at
the Smith Center, while L.A. is 8-9 on the road.
“They have that championship experience,” Thibault told the team’s website
regarding the Sparks. “For us it comes down to little things, making sure you
win the hustle plays, making little adjustments. It’s probably going to come
down to a couple of possessions.”
